Apparatus for feeding rayon cake wrapping nets automatically into automatic wrapping machine



SHOHACHI MASAI ETAL March 31, 1970 3,503,537

APPARATUS FOR. FEEDING RAYON CAKE WRAPPING NETS AUTOMATICALLY INTO AUTOMATIC WRAPPING MACHINE Flled Dec 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Smut l I A March 31, 1970 SHOHACHI MASAl ET AL 3,503,537

APPARATUS FOR FEEDING RAYON CAKE WRAPPING NETS AUTOMATICALLY INTO AUTOMATIC WRAPPING MACHINE Filed Dec. 1, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,503,537 APPARATUS FOR FEEDING RAYON CAKE WRAP- PING NETS AUTOMATICALLY INTO AUTO- MATIC WRAPPING MACHINE Shohachi Masai, Tadashi Araki, Shigemitsu Kawakami, and Tsugio Okamoto, Nobeoka-shi, Japan, assignors to Asahi Kasei Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan, a corporation of Japan Filed Dec. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 510,981 Claims priority, application Japan, Dec. 24, 1964, 39/ 72,543 Int. Cl. B65h 3/08 US. Cl. 221278 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for feeding rayon cake wrapping nets automatically into an automatic Wrapping machine, the apparatus having a conveyor tube for receiving the wrapping nets and a guide aligned with the receiving head of the wrapping machine for transferring of an individual wrapping net thereto in a predetermined time relationship. The feeding apparatus is provided with a pressure injector for injecting a Wrapping net into the guide and a vacuum device for drawing additional wrapping nets into the conveyor tube to replace those removed by the pressure injector, and a holding member being provided to hold a following wrapping net in the conveyor tube where the pressure injector is forcing a wrapping net into the guide and to release it when the vacuum device is drawing an additional wrapping net into the conveyor tube.

This invention relates to an apparatus for feeding rayon cake wrapping nets automaticaly into an automatic wrapping machine. More particularly this invention relates to an apparatus for automatically feeding tubular nets, preferably corrugated tubular nets, made of cellulosic material and delivered from a remote station e.g. from a corrugating machine, into the automatic rayon cake wrapping machine such as the one disclosed in a copending application U.S. Ser. No. 420,571, filed on Dec. 23, 1964, now Patent No. 3,354,612.

As is well known, it is a common practice to wrap each individual rayon cake produced by a centrifugal method with a tubular paper or a fabric net for its protection. A highly eflicient apparatus for automatically wrapping rayon cakes with corrugated tubular nets is disclosed in the above-mentioned copending application. However, feeding of nets to such an automatic wrapping machine has been heretofore carried out manually. Accordingly, it has been desirous to establish a wholly automatic and continuous operating system from net feeding to wrapping with net to increase production efiiciency and to decrease labor cost.

In the past, the cake wrapping operation has been principally manual because both cakes and Wrapping nets are characteristically soft and frail and particularly the former are susceptible to thread derangement and damage making it necessary to handle them carefully by a complicated procedure. Various proposals have, of course, been made to mechanize the wrapping operation but up to the present none of them have been put into practice with any success.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for feeding tubular nets, preferably corrugated tubular nets, to units of an automatic rayon cake wrapping machine continuously and automatically and to coordinate the motions of the feeding apparatus with the cake wrapping machine.

The foregoing object and other advantages can be at tained with the apparatus of the present invention which comprises a tubular net receiving mouth, a pipe extending therefrom to a valve means hereinafter described, a tubular net holding means which is fitted in the pipe and holds a tubular net by pressing it to the wall of the pipe during the operation stage of compressed air injection hereinafter described, a compressed air injecting means which is fitted in the pipe at the down part of the holding means, connected to a compressed air source and injects compressed air to shoot or push, a tubular net into an automatic wrapping machine through a guide means hereinafter described, a suction means which is fitted in the pipe at the down part of the compressed air injecting means, connected to a vacuum source and draws or sucks a tubular net from the receiving mouth, a valve means which closes and stops a tubular net thereupon during the suction stage of operation and opens and releases a tubular net during the compressed air injecting stage of operation and a cylindrical guide means which is installed at a position capable of feeding a tubular net from the valve means to an automatic wrapping machine and separates into two half pieces during the stage of operation of said automatic wrapping machine with a tubular net thereupon detaching from said cylindrical guide.

For a better understanding of the invention reference will now be made to the following detailed description to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic elevational view of the apparatus of the present invention used in conjunction with the automatic wrapping unit disclosed in the aforementioned copending application illustrating the phase in which the valve is closed.

FIGURE 2 is also a schematic elevational view illustrating the phase in which the valve is opened,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the cylindrical guide of the apparatus for delivering a tubular net into an inner tube of the lower head A of the automatic wrapping machine disclosed in the above-mentioned U.S. Ser. No. 420,571.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, the feeding apparatus is separated into five parts, and comprises a delivering part 110, a chute part 120, a tubular net holding means or piston part 130 which acts as the above-mentioned holding means, a valve part 140, and a guide part 150. As shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2, the present apparatus is carried by a supporting frame 160, and an arm 153 which extends from the frame 160 carries the guide part (unnumbered) and another arm 150 carries the other four parts.

The delivery part generally includes a funnelshaped mouth 111 for receiving tubular nets at the top of this part and a tubular net transporting pipe 112 having a sufiicient diameter for passing tubular nets therethrough. The lower end of this part 110 is connected with the upper entrance end of a tubular net receiving cylinder 121 of the chute part 120.

The chute part generally includes the tubular net receiving cylinder 121 which is adapted to contain a leading, an intermediate and a trailing wrapping net, a conical compressed air chamber 124 fitted at the outside of the lower end of the net receiving cylinder 121, a torpedo-like block 122 forming the lower end of the net receiving cylinder 121, and a chute cylinder 126. The conical compressed air chamber 124 is connected to a compressed air valve 123a by means of a compressed air pipe 123. The torpedo-like block 122 serves to direct the flow of the compressed air toward the valve part by forcing the compressed air to pass through a narrowed passageway formed between the inside wall of the conical compressed air chamber and the outside wall of the torpedo-like block 122. The end of the conical compressed air chamber has the same size as the net receiving cylinder and is connected to the chute cylinder 126. In the middle part of the chute cylinder 126 there are bored a number of small holes 126a which perform a function of suction holes 126a during the suction stage of operation. Surrounding this part, i.e. the suction holes 126a, there is a suction chamber 127 from which a vacuum pipe 128 extends to a vacuum valve 128a. The chute cylinder 126 has an exit end which terminates at a slightly narrower part underneath which the valve part 140 is fitted.

The piston part 130 is afiixed to the upper part of the receiving cylinder 121. The side wall of the receiving cylinder 121 has a hole or opening 121a of a sufiicient size to permit a piston rod 131 to pass through into and out of the receiving cylinder 121. A piston cylinder 132 is connected substantially perpendicularly to the wall of the receiving cylinder 121. A seal ring 134 inserted in a grooved part 133 of the inside wall of the piston cylinder contacts tightly with the piston rod 131. The piston rod makes a reciprocating motion between the portion of the wall of the cylinder 121 having the hole 121a and the portion of the wall opposite thereto in order to press a tubular net against the wall of the receiving cylinder and to release the tubular net therefrom.

The valve part 140 includes a valve body 141 and a fulcrum 142 which controls the opening and closing of the end of the chute cylinder 126.

The guide part 150 is placed at a most suitable position on an orbit on which units of the automatic wrapping machine of the type disclosed in the aforementioned copending application rotate about a main shaft while being aligned with both an upper head A and a lower head A of the automatic wrapping machine during the shooting or descending stage of operation. The guide part includes a conical hopper 151 on the top and a cylindrical guide 152. The cylindrical guide 152 can be separated into two parts; one is a fixed or stationary guide part 152a (see FIG. 3) carried by a supporting arm 153 and the other is a movable guide part 154 which is rotatable by arms 155 about a shaft 156. The shaft 156 is secured by a bearing 157 carried by the fixed arm 153.

The operation of compressed air valve 123a, vacuum valve 128a, piston rod 131, fulcrum axis 142 and shaft 156 are individually controlled by the driving system (not shown in the drawing) of the upper head A and the lower head A of the automatic wrapping machine and they perform intermittent individual movements coordinated with the movement of the latter. In other words, in the condition or feeding phase, shown in FIG. 1, when the compressed air valve 123a closes, the vacuum valve 128a opens, the piston rod 131 is in its right side in active position, being moved back to the hole 121a of the receiving cylinder 121, the valve body 141 of the valve part is in the upper closed position closing the lower end of the chute cylinder 126 and the movable guide part 154 is in its separated position moved from the fixed guide part 152a of the cylindrical guide 152 leaving free space between the movable guide part 154 and the fixed guide 152a. When the compressed air valve 123a opens, the feed apparatus is in the condition or non-feeding phase shown in FIG. 2 and the vacuum valve 128a closes, the piston rod 131 is in its left side in active position, the end of which extends to the opposite inside wall of the receiving cylinder 121, the valve body 141 of the valve part is in its lower open position, opening the lower end of the chute cylinder 126 and the movable guide part 154 forms a complete cylinder together with the fixed guide part 152a. All of these motions are carried out by known mechanically interlocking mechanism.

The operation of the present apparatus will be described hereinafter.

When a tubular net B which has been corrugated by a corrugating machine (not indicated in the figure) to give a star-like cross section, drops into the funnel-shaped mouth 111 of the delivery part by the motion co-ordinated with those of the upper head A and the lower head A of the automatic wrapping machine as indicated in FIGURE 1, the compressed air valve 123a closes, the vacuum valve 128a opens and the valve body 141 at the end of the chute cylinder 126 closes, hence the tubular net B is sucked into the chute cylinder 126 from the funnel-shaped mouth 111 through the pipe 112 and the receiving cylinder 121. When the cycle changes and the compressed air valve 123a opens, the vacuum valve 128a closes. As soon as the compressed air is injected downward from the narrowered passage way 125, the valve body 141 moves down to its open position and the bottom of the chute cylinder 126 opens. Hence the net B held by the valve body 141 is forced and thrown by compressed air C through the hopper 151 of the guide part and the empty cylinder formed by the fixed guide part 152a and the movable guide part 154 into a central part of the lower head A of the automatic wrapping machine and settled there. When the cycle further changes and the compressed air valve 123a closes, another net B corrugated by a corrugating machine (not indicated in figures) drops into the funnel-shaped mouth 111 and the same operations are repeated. However at this moment, the movable guide piece 154 turns around the shaft 156 and is moved away from the fixed guide 152a in such a way that free space is formed on the orbit of the lower head A of the automatic wrapping machine. On this account, in spite of the sticking out top, the net B sealed in the central tube is carried together without being disturbed in accordance with the movement of the upper head A and lower head A to the position where the wrapping of rayon cake is freely carried out. The movable guide piece 154 returns to the position where a complete cylinder 152 is formed together with the fixed cylindrical guide 152a in order to be ready for receiving further net as soon as the cycle starts where the compressed air valve 121a opens.

The above-mentioned operation is the case in which only one corrugated tubular net is delivered, but in the actual operation, another similar tubular net B follows continuously in accordance with the motion of the automatic wrapping machine. This continuous operation is carried out by repeated synchronized motion of the piston rod 131 at the position near the entrance of the receiving cylinder 121 while holding the net and then releasing it. In other words, during the cycle where the compressed air valve closes, the forerunning net B is in the lowest position of the chute cylinder 126 and after-running net B follows immediately after the forerunning one. Just before the opening of the compressed air valve 123a, the piston rod advances, presses and holds the after-running net B against the inside wall of the receiving cylinder and only allows the forerunning one to be pushed out.

As above-explained, the present apparatus provides for the feeding of nets B by a simplified mechanism and not only saves labor but also guarantees a reliable and speedy operation.

What we claim is:

1. Apparatus for automatically feeding tubular wrapping nets for rayon cakes into a lower head of an automatic wrapping machine, said feeding apparatus having a feeding phase coordinated with the lower head to feed a wrapping net thereto and a non-feeding phase, comprising:

(A) a delivery part having a funnel-shaped mouth for receiving tubular nets,

(B) a chute part including a net receiving cylinder adapted to hold a leading, an intermediate and a trailing wrapping net and having an upper entrance end extending from said delivery part and a lower exit end, said chute part including compressed air injection means connected with said receiving cylinder and a source of compressed air for injection thereinto of compressed air during the feeding phase and suction means connected with said receiving cylinder proximate to said exit end and a source of vacuum for drawing a wrapping net from said delivery part into said receiving cylinder during the non-feeding phase adapted to receive and hold therebetween the leading wrapping net from said cylinder,

(C) a guide part including a stationary member and a movable member, said guide part being aligned with said lower exit end during the feeding phase and movable into alignment with the lower head of the automatic wrapping machine for transferring the Wrapping net thereto during the non-feeding phase, said movable member being movable away from said stationary member to release the last-mentioned Wrapping net for discharge into the lower head,

(D) valve means associated with said lower exit end and said guide part and having a closed position for closing said exit end and an open position for opening thereof to respectively hold the leading wrapping net in said cylinder during the non-feeding phase and to permit the leading wrapping net to be discharged therefrom into said guide part in response to the injection of the compressed air into said receiving cylinder by said compressed air injection means during the feeding phase, and

(E) tubular net holding means connected with one portion of the wall of said receiving cylinder to press a tubular net against another portion of the wall during the feeding phase thereof and to release it therefrom during the non-feeding phase,

the tubular net holding means permitting solely the leading net to be pushed into said guide part by said air injection means during the feeding phase while holding the intermediate net against the inside wall of the receiving cylinder and to release the intermediate net when said suction means draws the wrapping net from said delivery part into said receiving cylinder.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said tubular net holding means includes a piston passing through said one portion.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said compressed air injecting means includes a conical compressed air chamber and a torpedolike block through which tubular nets pass a central part thereof and a narrowed passage way formed by the inside wall of the conical compressed air chamber and the outside wall of the torpedo-like block through which the compressed air is injected.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said suction means includes a number of small passageways through the wall of said pipe and a suction chamber surrounding said passageways.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,734,657 2/1956 Drese 221-278 X 3,212,620 10/1965 Adams et al 221-278 X 3,323,155 6/ 1967 Codey et a1 221278 X FOREIGN PATENTS 686,750 1/ 1940 Germany. 152,025 2/ 1962 U.S.S.R.

SAMUEL F. COLEMAN, Primary Examiner 

